The present invention relates to a new buffing pad assembly particularly adapted for use in cleaning, polishing and waxing polishing the paint finish on a motor vehicle. Over 25 years ago, Meguiar's, Inc. under its predecessor name, Mirror Brite Polish Company, Inc., developed the use of foam pads for cleaning, waxing and polishing automobile finishes. While foam pads remain the industry standard today, their use is quite time consuming. Depending on the quality of the paint on the vehicle and the finish desired, the waxing and polishing process can employ several steps and the use of a number of different products. These steps can include the application of a cleaner to remove paint oxidation and foreign matter, the application of the wax, buffing or polishing and, in some applications, a final finishing polish with a fine finishing pad. Again, depending on the particular job, different types of products are often used for a particular step in the process. As in each application of a particular product, the foam pad will absorb some of that product, it is necessary to dedicate a single pad to a single product to prevent contamination of the pad which would have a deleterious effect on the process.
Foam pad systems heretofore in use employ a foam pad which is glued onto a rigid backing plate. The plate is then secured to a motorized drive tool such as a rotary or orbital buffer or polisher. Accordingly, for each step in the process it is necessary to detach the pad and backing plate from the drive tool and secure in place a new pad and plate. In the professional market place, this pad replacement is time consuming and costly. When a pad becomes overly worn and needs replacement, the backing plate to which the pad is secured must also be discarded. It would be highly desirable to provide an assembly Which reduces the time necessary to replace the foam pads and which would allow for the reuse of the backing plates which are still in excellent condition when the useful life of the foam pad has been exhausted.
Attempts have been made to utilize Velcro hook and loop fasteners to removably secure buffing pads to a backing plate in an effort to make the pad readily detachable from the plate and thereby significantly reduce the time it takes to replace the pad. However, such attempts have not proved successful due to the difficulty of properly centering the pad on the backing plate. An off-centered pad creates a balancing problem causing the pad to wobble. The resulting vibration fatigues the operator, results in an inferior buffing job and can damage the finish. It would be desirable to employ a hook and loop fastening system in a foam pad assembly to solve the aforesaid time replacement problem if the alignment problem could also be resolved. The foam pad assembly of the present invention achieves this result.